Muscle anchorage appliance



Dec. 27, 1966 M, DENHOLTZ 3,293,747

MUSCLE ANCHORAGE APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 50, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. MELVIN DENHOLTZ BY W Ma. QM

ATTORNEYS Dec. 27, 1966 M. DENHOLTZ 3,293,747

MUSCLE ANCHORAGE APPLIANCE Filed Sept. 50, 1963 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

MELVIN DENHOLTZ BY W& M

ATTORNEYS Dec. 27, 1966 M. DENHOLTZ 3,293,747

MUSCLE ANCHORAGE APPLIANCE Filed Sept'. 30, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. Q MELVIN DENHOLTZ ma M ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,293,747 MUSCLE ANCHORAGE APPLIANCE Melvin Denholtz, 114 W. Mount Pleasant Ave., Livingston, NJ. 07039 Filed Sept. 30, 1963, Ser. No. 312,559 7 Claims. (Cl. 32--14) This invention relates to a dental appliance for therapeutic treatment of misaligned teeth or malocclusion, and particularly to an orthodontic device designed primarily to move upper molars in a distal direction and at the same time reduce a protrusion.

Among the principal disadvantages of orthodontic devices being used in the treatment of malocclusion is the production of adverse reactions in some of the teeth in the patient by the anchorage device employed. These devices often are designed to produce constant pressures which are too intense for the purposes sought to be accomplished, and frequently can be used or tolerated by the patient only intermittently, or for only a limited portion of the day and night. As a consequence, the total period of treatment of the malocclusion is considerably prolonged. Some of these prior art devices are relatively complicated mechanically, require considerable time for installation and for periodic adjustment, and are unhygienic because they are not removable by the patient for necessarily frequent cleaning purposes. Furthermore most of the prior art devices do not adequately develop the underdeveloped or hypotonic lip generally prevalent in protrusion cases. As a result, final retention is not accomplished. Mouth breathing is associated with a hypotonic lip as the latter prevents a lip seal. Mouth breathing gives an adenoidal look and patients who are mouth breathers are more susceptible to upper respiratory infections and periodontal difliculties than non-mouth breathers.

Accordingly, it is an important object of this invention to provide a dental appliance for the treatment of misaligned teeth which will not produce adverse reactions in other teeth of the patient.

Another object of this invention is to provide an orthodontic device wherein the pressure for tooth movement is supplied by the patients lip, which also is muscularly developed thereby.

A further object of this invention is to provide a device for the treatment of malocclusion, development of a hypotonic lip, and prevention of mouth breathing which continuously applies light, intermittent pressures to the teeth to be moved, during both the waking and the sleeping hours.

Still another object of this invention is to provide a dental appliance for the treatment of misaligned teeth which is capable of speedy installation and periodic adjustment.

It is a further object of this invention to provide an orthodontic device which is removable by the patient, is readily cleaned for hygienic purposes, and is again readily installed by the patient.

Additional objects will become apparent from the following description, which is given primarily for purposes of illustration, and not limitation.

Stated in general terms, the objects of this invention are attained by the provision of a dental appliance which includes a pressure member such as a pressure pad or shield, made of plastic material, such as polyethylene, and adapted for insertion in a persons mouth, above or below the front teeth. The pressure member is provided with a wire, preferably embedded in the pressure member and 3,293,747 Patented Dec. 27, 1966 ICC adapted for connection to the teeth on either side of an upper or lower, dental arch, preferably the molars on either side of a dental arch, such as by the use of auxiliary buccal tubes and tooth bands. The installation of the wire on the teeth on each side of a dental arch is adjusted so that the pressure member is positioned slightly in front of the alveolar tissue of the patient so that the patient can apply pressure to the pressure member with his lip. Resilient means, such as pressure coils or springs are mounted on the embedded wire or formed in the wire, on either side of the pressure member to modify the pressure applied to the pressure member by the patients lip.

A more detailed description of specific embodiments of the invention is given below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is an isometric view showing the pressure member with a wire embedded therein;

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view of the pressure member of FIG. 1 taken along line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is a front elevational view showing the pressure member with embedded wire, pressure coils and crimpable stops mounted on the embedded wire;

FIG. 4 is a similar view showing the device of FIG. 3 with the addition of mounted buccal tubes and molar bands and the pressure coils opened for installation in a patients mouth;

FIG. 5 is a partial isometric view showing the orthodontic device installed upon an upper dental arch with the buccal tubes anchored upon molars for distal driving thereof;

FIG. 6 is a partial side elevational view of a patients head schematically showing the upper and lower dental arches in a case of malocclusion and showing the orthodontic device operatively installed upon the upper dental arch;

FIG. 7 is an isometric detail view of the orthodontic device showing the lower side thereof in exploded, disassembled form and showing the upper side thereof in assembled form;

FIG. 8 is a-front elevational view showing an alternative embodiment of the pressure member with embedded wire and mounted buccal tubes and molar bands, wherein the embedded wire is coiled to provide its own pressure coils; and

FIG. 9 is a partial isometric view showing the orthodontic device of FIGS. 1 to 7 modified by the addition of an accessory elastic band over the front teeth.

The pressure member, pad or shield 10 is shaped, con- .toured or preformed to fit inside the patients lip and over the alveolar tissue. The shape is, in general terms, a flat peanut or flat, elongated kidney shape, as shown in the drawings. Pressure member 10 is made of a plastic material which can be contoured to shape by simple finger pressure. Pressure member 10 should be relieved for the frenum and should extend from the mesial of the cuspid to the mesial of the cuspid. Polyethylene has been found to be a very satisfactory plastic material, but many other plastic or flexible materials can be used with equal or greater satisfaction. Silicone rubber and acrylic resins are examples of other suitable materials.

Wire 11 is embedded in pressure member 10, and preferably extends linearly through the length of the pressure member to extend therebeyond at either end in sections 12 and 13. Compensatory bends 15 and 16 are made in wire end sections 12 and 13, respectively, close to the corresponding ends of pressure member 10. The rigidity of the wire maintains the plastic pad in contoured position after it has been contoured by the fingers. As the pres sure pad is flexible with respect to the wire to some extent it is compatible with the gum.

A closed coil 17 is mounted on wire end section 12 With a crimpable stop 18 'crimped at the inner end of coil 17 at compensatory bend 15. Similarly, a closed coil 20 is mounted on wire end section 13 with a crimpable stop 21 crimped at the inner end of coil 20 at compensatory bend 16.

The end 22 of wire end section 12 is inserted in a buccal tube 23 attached to a molar band 24, which is in turn attached to a molar 25 (FIG. and the end 26 of wire end section 13 is inserted in a buccal tube 27 attached to a molar band 28, which is in turn attached to a molar 29. As shown in FIG. 4, a barb 56 may be included on the wires 22 and 26 which allows springs 17 and 20, respectively, to be locked on or adjusted for pressure by screwing the spring on or off the wires 22 and 26. The barb will feed into the lay or pitch of the spring as it is rotated and not require the use of a crimpable member.

After pressure member is fitted and the compensatory bends are made, coils 17 and 20 on each side are pulled open so that pressure member 10 is forced to lie in front of the alveolar tissue preferably a millimeter, or two, away from it. Pressure member 10 is set up high in the mucco-buccal fold in much the same manner as a denture flange, as best shown in FIG. 6. Coils 17 and 20 supply a gentle modifying or cushioning pressure to pressure member 10. When the patients lips are in any of the normal physiologic positions of talking, smiling, swallowing, etc., pressure member 10 is urged backwardly by the patients upper lip 31, shown in phantom, and pressure member 10 activates coils 17 and 20 to apply gentle, distal, reciprocal pressure to molars 25 and 29, respectively. Thus movement of molars 25 and 29 is the result or muscular pressure generated from the inner aspect of the patients lip. To distal drive lower molars, the dental appliance is inverted and applied to the lower dental arch in the same manner as described above for the upper dental arch.

The patient is seen about once a month and coils 17 and 20 are additionally opened slightly at each visit. No adverse reaction is produced in any teeth of the patient and all anchorage is derived from the lips. The lips are automatically developed in the process and a hypotonic upper lip, usually prevalent in a protrusion case, also is corrected. Thus a firm lip seal is created in the mouth as shown in FIG. 6. The pressures generated upon the molars are light and intermittent and are automatically produced by the lip muscles in talking, smiling, swallowing, etc., without conscious effort or attention of the patient or orthodontist.

The dental appliance is easily tolerated by the patient and operates 24 hours a day to considerably reduce treatment time. The appliance is hygienic because it can be removed by the patient, cleaned, and reinserted by the patient. As the pressure member 10 is urged by the lip, back and forth against the labial tissue many times during the waking hours, the resulting light intermittent forces drive the molars distally in a bodily movement, and this same repetitive force acting over the roots of the anterior teeth reduces the protrusion progressively in a bodily manner.

In an alternative embodiment of the appliance of th invention shown in FIG. 8, the extending end sections 32 and 33 of embedded wire 34 are adapted to provide their own modifying or cushioning pressure without the use of auxiliary coils. This is accomplished by providing wire end section 32 with three loops or coils 36, 37 and 38 and similarly providing wire end section 33 with three loops 39, 40 and 41. Loops 38 and 41 are used for front elasticity. The appliance is installed in the patients mouth as described above in connection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1 to 7, with the aid of buccal tube-molar 4 band assemblies 43-44 and 45-46. The desired one or two millimeter positioning of pressure member 42 in front of the labial tissue is produced by opening loops 36 and 39 the proper amount to thus activate the appliance.

An accessoryattachment 47 for the anterior teeth can be added to the dental appliance as shown in FIG. 9. The attachment 47 is an elastic band used to aid in correcting malocclusion or protrusion cases. Band 47 is mounted in hooks 48 and 49 connected to wire end sections 51 and 52, respectively. Double buccal tubes 53 and 54 also can be used for such auxiliary, or additional auxiliary attachments. The hooks 48 serve various anchoring functions, such as, anchoring the cervical claw to a neck band or a class II elastic which is an elastic from the hook to the buccal tube. It will be seen that the dental appliance of this invention does not interfere in any manner with other mechano-therapy used to supplement the therapy of the instant orthodontic device.

Obviously, many other modifications and variations of the present invention are possible in the light of the teachings given hereinabove. It is, therefore, to be understood that, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention can be practiced otherwise than as specifically described.

What is claimed is:

1. An orthodontic appliance which comprises a pressure member of plastic-like material and arch-shaped to conform to part of a patients mouth arch, said member being adapted for disposition in front of the alveolar tissue of the patients mouth, means to maintain the arch shape of said pressure member comprising a connector element attached to said pressure member and having end sections extending from either side of the pressure member, buccal located attachment means for slidably and loosely connecting the respective end sections of the connector element to a posterior tooth on either side of a patients dental arch, and coil spring means mounted on the respective end sections of the connector element on either side of the pressure member between the pressure member and said attachment means for receiving and transmitting pressure created by the patients lip engaging the pressure member.

2. An orthodontic appliance which comprises a pressure member of plastic-like material which can be contoured to fit in a patients mouth in front of the alveolar tissue, a wire element embedded in the pressure member of sufficient rigidity to maintain the flexible pressure member in any desired contoured shape and having an end section extending from opposite ends of the pressure member, posterior tooth buccal attachment means for slidably connecting the respective end sections of the wire element to a posterior tooth on either side of a patients dental arch, and coil spring means mounted on the respective wire end sections on either side of the pressure member for cushioning pressure applied to the pressure member by a patients lip and transference thereof to respective posterior teeth on either side of a patients dental arch to which the wire end sections are connected.

3. A dental appliance for treatment of protrusion cases which comprises a pressure member of plastic-like material adapted to fit in front of the alveolar tissue behind a patients lip, a wire element embedded in the pressure member to extend therethrough and including wire end sections extending from either side of the pressure member, buccal attachment means for mounting on a posterior tooth on either side of a patients dental arch, means for slidably and loosely engaging one of the wire end sections of the wire element on the attachment means on each side of the patients dental arch, coil spring means mounted on the respective Wire end sections intermediate the buccal means and the pressure member for cushioning pressure applied to the pressure member by the patients lip and transference thereof to the tooth on either side of a patients dental arch.

4. A dental appliance according to claim 3, wherein the coil spring means are fixed in position on the wire end sections by crimpable stop means.

5. A dental appliance according to claim 3, wherein the coil spring means are adjustably held in position on the wire end sections by a barb on said sections.

6. A dental appliance according to claim 3, wherein said pressure member is made of polyethylene.

7. A dental appliance according to claim 3 including adjusting means supported on each of said wire end sections for adjusting the resiliency of the respective coil spring means.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS RICHARD A. GAUDET, Primary Examiner.

J. W. HINEY, Assistant Examiner. 

